David Rothstein writes:

>Albeit Wagner became somewhat of a Nazi symbol
>but he lived years before the Nazis.

Bryan Magee's new book on WAGNER AND PHILOSOPHY is of interest here.
He has a section (pp. 361-368) devoted to the relation between the Third
Reich and Wagner, and he documents the decline in performances of Wagner's
works during this period.  There is no question that Hitler was an
enthusiastic Wagnerite, but this was a personal peculiarity that Nazidom
put up with, and honored only when necessary.  As Magee says, "The only
important Nazi who loved Wagner was Hitler.  There was no special relation
between Wagner and the Third Reich" (p.  366).

Nick
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